Syria willsend a new ambassador to France in a move that may thaw frozen diplomatic ties between the two countries, Damascus' top diplomat in London, Sami Khiyami, said Tuesday.
Khiyami, who is Syria's ambassador to Britain and Ireland, said a new representative will likely be sent to France in "the very near future." Syria has not had an ambassador in Paris since 2006.
Relations between Paris and Damascus became strained over the death of Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Syria has always denied any involvement in Hariri's death.
Khiyami said he believed France now realizes that relations with Syria are vital to bringing peace to the Middle East. "We notice that France has recognized after all, and since Mr. Chirac departed, the real valve of security and stability in the Middle East is Syria," Khiyami told the Associated Press in an interview.
"This position is becoming contagious in Europe, and this is something we consider positive. We hope that this contagion will catch the United Kingdom very soon," he added.
Khiyami declined to confirm whether Syrian President Bashar Assad willannounce the appointment during talks in France this weekend. Assad is due to hold a meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy on Saturday before a Mediterranean peace summit that will bring scores of regional leaders to the French capital.
Khiyami said Syria had been reluctant to appoint a new ambassador because of what the country perceived as Chirac's frostiness. "Nowadays, I think it is a matter to be addressed in the very near future," Khiyami said, speaking at the Syrian Embassy in London.
"Naturally, there is a French ambassador in Damascus and there should be a Syrian ambassador in Paris," he added.